Board Members Present: Clarence Babineaux, Archer Frierson, Van Anderson, David McCullough, Reverend Roy Thomas, Sam Williamson, and Fred McClanahan

Board Members Absent: None

Others Present: Martha Carter, Judy Rachal, Richard Stewart, Arthur Meacham, Beth Ann Carter,(9-1-1 Staff) Michael Wainwright (Legal Counsel) and Travis Morehart (CPA)

Mr. Babineaux called the meeting to order and asked that attendance be noted. Mr. Babineaux asked the Board to consider a motion to approve the minutes of the Tuesday, November 20, 2007 meeting. Mr. Williamson moved and Mr. McClanahan seconded the motion that the minutes be approved as submitted. The motion was unanimously approved.

Mr. Babineaux opened the Public Hearing on the proposed 2008 Operating and Capital Outlay Budget for the Caddo Parish Communications District Number One and asked if there were any comments or questions on the proposed budget. There being no member of the public present for review or comment on the budget, Mr. Babineaux closed the public hearing.

Mr. Babineaux called for a report relative to the proposed amendments to the 2007 Operating and Capital Outlay Budget. Ms. Carter stated the Board had received detailed copies of the current budget along with the narrative outlining the proposed amendments to the 2007 Budget. Ms. Carter explained that these amendments were necessary so that the budget would more accurately reflect the District’s actual revenues and expenditures for the year end. Ms. Carter stated that since the November 20, 2007 board meeting, there had been no changes to the proposed budget. Based upon the review by the Budget/Investment Sub-committee, Ms. Carter stated she would like to recommend that the Board officially approve the resolution amending the 2007 Budget as previously submitted. Ms. Carter further stated that Mr. Morehart, District CPA, was also present to answer any questions that the Board may have and/or to comment on the proposed budget. Mr. Morehart had one question concerning reducing the budgeted amount by $110,696 in the line item for Enhanced 9-1-1 Wireless Phase I. Ms. Carter explained that the Enhanced 9-1-1 Wireless Phase I line item had been reduced by $110,696 due to the business decisions of some of the cellular carriers not to assess Phase I cost recovery fees at this time. She explained that currently the District reimburses Alltel and Sprint for the provisioning of Phase I Enhanced 9-1-1 services for their wireless customers. In accordance with FCC Order 94-102 and Act 1029 adopted by the Louisiana Legislature in 1999, wireless carriers can seek cost recovery from the 9-1-1 communications districts for the deployment of the Enhanced 9-1-1 services for their customers. Phase I of the FCC Order requires wireless carriers to provide good call back number information to the 9-1-1 center, as well as tower site information, when a wireless customer dials 9-1-1. Within the 2007 budget, Phase I cost recovery fees for Cingular had been budgeted; however, due to the merger between AT&T Wireless and Cingular, New Cingular Wireless has not requested reimbursement at this time. Ms. Carter stated that since it has been over two years and the carrier has not asked for the reimbursement, she was proposing to reduce that line item to reflect actual contractual obligations and that if new carriers entered the Caddo Parish market and sought cost recovery, a new agreement would have to be executed and at that time, if necessary she would bring the contract to the Board for approval and for adding funds back into that line item at that time.

In summation, Ms. Carter stated total expenditures will be a little over $4.3 million dollars and the ending fund balance will be slightly over $2.5 million. This is the first time since collection of 9-1-1 surcharge fees that revenues are remaining flat and that there has been no growth in subscribers.

With no further questions, Mr. Babineaux asked for a motion to approve Resolution No. 11 of 2007 adopting the proposed amendments to the 2007 Operating and Capital Outlay Budget. Reverend Thomas moved and Mr. McClanahan seconded the motion, which was then unanimously approved by the Board.

Mr. Babineaux asked for a report on the proposed 2008 Operating Budget for the District. Ms. Carter stated that a detailed narrative along with a copy of the proposed budget had been included within the Board’s Agenda package for their review. She stated that there had not been any changes to the proposed budget since she presented the budget during the November 20th board meeting. Ms. Carter stated that within the proposed budget, a 3.6% cost of living increase for the staff had been included. Ms. Carter explained that the proposed 2008 budget mirrors the 2007 budget with the exception of proposed expenditures under the Capital Outlay Category. Ms. Carter stated that under the Capital Outlay Category of the proposed 2008 Operating Budget, funds had been designated in the System Enhancement line item for the implementation fees associated with the software upgrade of the District’s Intergraph CAD system. She explained that within the existing CAD software maintenance contract, the District receives annual software upgrades as a part of the existing contract at no additional cost. However, monies have to be appropriated to fund the project management or implementation fees of the software engineers/designers to be on-site during the upgrade to insure proper integration with each of the other computer sub-systems. She stated that upgrades were normally implemented and funded every other year; however, due to the problems with the latest software release, the 2007 upgrade had been postponed.

Ms. Carter stated that within the System Enhancement Category, a new line item had been created, Mobile Data Communications 2007 Grant Match, to reflect the expenditures for the 2007 COPS grant match that will be required of the District. She explained that since the Shreveport Police Department and the District had been successful in receiving the 2007 COPS Grant for $3,000,000 with a $1,000,000 or 25% grant match for the procurement of technology that focuses on data information-sharing and/or an enhancement of voice interoperability with Bossier and DeSoto parishes, the District would be required to provide its share of the grant match. The grant match as outlined with the execution of a Memorandum of Understanding: Bossier Sheriff - $353,333, DeSoto Parish Sheriff - $113,333, Caddo Parish Sheriff - $200,000, Shreveport Police Department - $100,000, and Caddo Parish 9-1-1 District - $233,334. She stated that the match dollar amounts were determined by the agencies and based upon a percentage of their area population.

Ms. Carter also explained that a second line item had been created under this category relative to the mobile data project to fund the shortfall or budget limitations of the 2004 Grant COPS budget. She stated that when the original 2004 COPS grant budget was developed, it was based upon estimates for the design, purchase and implementation of a parish-wide data system. She stressed that although each component of the mobile data project had been competitively bid, it appeared that the budget would experience a shortage of approximately $200,000. During the October board meeting, Ms. Carter asked for the board’s consideration to allow the District to fund the shortfall so that all of the parish’s public safety agencies could receive all of their laptops as originally requested during the needs analysis phase of the project.

Under the System Enhancement Category, Ms. Carter explained that a new line item had been created to fund the replacement of the radio dispatch computers that have not been upgraded since 1998. $16,000 was budgeted for their replacement. She also stated that a new line item had been created for the replacement of the instant playback recorders for each radio dispatch position as well and that the existing playback recorders were in excess of 10 years old, parts were no longer available, and the units were at the end of life. Ms. Carter explained that although each workstation was recorded by each agency via a master voice logging recording system, instant playback enabled the dispatcher to playback radio transmissions at the workstation as opposed to having to access the master recorder, which was located remotely in the tape vault room.

Ms. Carter stated that within the Facility Renovation line item funds ($10,000) had been designated for the replacement of the Uninterrupted Power Supply Batteries for the 9-1-1 facility, which were at the end of their life expectancy. Also included was the replacement of fabric on the panels of the communications consoled in the Communications operations area of the center. Ms. Carter stated that the District would begin the year with approximately $2.5 million and would end the year with approximately $2.3 million if revenues are received as projected with the current expenditures as planned.

With no further questions, Mr. Babineaux asked for a motion adopting Resolution No. 12 of 2007 approving the proposed Operating and Capital Outlay Budget for the period beginning January 1, 2008 and ending December 31, 2008. Reverend Thomas moved and Mr. McClanahan seconded the motion adopting the budget, which was then unanimously approved.

Mr. Babineaux asked for any old business. Ms. Carter responded that she wanted to bring the Board up to date on the public records request that had been made by Ms. Allison Bath of The Times. Ms. Carter stated Ms. Bath had called her stating that she had received Mr. Wainwright’s letter on behalf of the board and that she had a few questions concerning the District’s web-site and about what types of event were being filtered and why. Ms. Carter stated that explained the history of why the website was created in an effort to provide a means of informing the media and public on active public safety events since the District was implementing a new radio system that would be harder to monitor via public scanners. And as a result, since the system would be harder to scan, the District wanted to provide a means to keep the media from calling communications personnel asking them questions, which would be tying up emergency personnel on non-emergency calls. Ms. Carter explained that as the web-site developed, meetings were held with the City Attorney, Media representatives, the Attorney for Sheriff’s Dept. and the District’s legal counsel, to discuss exactly what should and should not be published on the web-site. During those meetings with the agencies and media, it was mutually agreed that some filtering of information would occur such as events concerning officer safety, juveniles, suicides, medical information, or events that could impede an ongoing investigation, would not be published. Ms. Carter explained that the web-site had different levels of access and that the media had been provided log-ins that would allow them to access additional information. Ms. Carter stated that she provided Ms. Bath with the log in information that had been assigned to the Times and explained the log in process to her. Ms. Carter stated that based upon her conversation with Ms. Bath that she felt that Ms. Bath was satisfied with her responses, and Ms. Carter stated that she was considering this issue closed unless she received additional inquiries from the Times. Ms. Carter stated that she would advise the Board if there were any further inquiries.

Mr. Babineaux asked if there was any additional old business. There being none, Mr. Babineaux asked for any new business. With no further business to be brought before the Board, Mr. Babineaux adjourned the meeting.